


It Takes a Spaceship

by phnelt



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Gen, Unexpected friendships, families on the Enterprise, non-graphic childbirth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 10:29:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18364205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phnelt/pseuds/phnelt
Summary: At the time, Worf believed that having children on the Enterprise was needlessly dangerous and cumbersome. It seemed unreasonable for humans, a species so invested in caretaking, to bring their most vulnerable members into a situation where no one could fully assess the risks.Commander Esfahani corrected his perspective in their first meeting.





	It Takes a Spaceship

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tablelamp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tablelamp/gifts).



> Thanks for letting me write for you! I saw your request for Keiko, and for families on the Enterprise, and this is what came out. 
> 
> Huge thanks to Karios for his patient and fantastic beta of this story.

“Breathe, Mrs. O’Brien.” His instructions were clear, and designed to help her work through her contraction. Worf respected her tenacity and spirit and so he focused on the task in front of him, diverting his thoughts from wondering about the status of the Bridge, or if a fully trained medical professional would be able to take over for him in time.

Mrs. O’Brien panted and resumed talking, seemingly undeterred by her contractions and their increasing frequency.

“You know, Miles was worried about the dangers of being on a Starship, and Miles could advance his career elsewhere, but when I got invited to come on the Enterprise I just had to do it. He came with me, of course. You understand, don’t you? I’m a xeno-botanist, there’s nowhere else I could get to examine so many new specimens. But maybe I did the wrong thing?” Worf couldn’t determine if the question was rhetorical or not. The delivery manual emphasised being reassuring, and so Worf attempted to reassure her.

“The ship is very safe. There are many security protocols in place to protect the children.”

“Tell me about them?”

“Now?”

“Yes now, do you think I’m going anywhere?” 

Worf stiffened a little, and not just because Mrs. O’Brien was applying increasing pressure to his hand. Her question reminded him of the first time he had spoken to the Starfleet Family Coordinator. It was for the yearly review of family-oriented Enterprise-specific security procedures, when Worf had just recently assumed the role of Chief of Security. He did not handle it well. At the time, he believed that having children on the Enterprise was needlessly dangerous and cumbersome. It seemed unreasonable for humans, a species so invested in caretaking, to bring their most vulnerable members into a situation where no one could fully assess the risks.

Commander Esfahani corrected his perspective in their first meeting. They had been in her office, going over each item. The meeting had already extended two hours past when it had been scheduled to end. 

_ “Do you believe in the importance of the Enterprise’s mission?” Of course he did. “Then do you believe that the Enterprise should have the best possible crew to complete this mission?” He had a suspicion about the direction of her questioning. “Then why would we reject a perfect crewmember?” _

“Worf?”

“Children are restricted from dangerous areas on the ship. At red alert, or in the event of an emergency, bulkheads come down to reinforce and separate those sections.” Which they have currently done _ ,  _ his mind supplied. He realised this was drawing her attention to the source of their current inconvenience. 

“And that’s enough? It’s safe?” She was panting, indicating that another contraction was about to begin. He checked his tricorder. Everything was proceeding normally. Now was not the time to discuss nuances in security policy. In fact, Worf believed that current policies could be improved, there were several compromises he had had to make based on Commander Esfahani’s requirements.

Commander _ Esfahani leaned back. “You know, Worf, children can’t be kept in cages. You raise kids in small worlds, you get adults who are afraid of the sky.” Worf gritted his teeth.  _

_ “You cannot dismiss all of my suggestions. I am responsible for their safety, and their parents would rather they stay e, and protected and alive, than free and dead.” He regretted his harsh words, Lt. Yar had lectured him many times on his inability to be diplomatic. He often felt that he was not performing her former duties as she would have wished. _

_ “Which is why I don’t dismiss all of your suggestions. We’ve already discussed restricting children’s access to Ten Forward without a guardian and only during low-risk periods. But because of that, I need you to meet me here on the holodeck question. They need changes of scenery, the holodecks are internal systems; let them have access.” _

Continuously updating the ship’s risk level had been one of their compromises. Worf reviewed the upcoming mission parameters and ship’s heading before he assigned each day a rating. Each rating was associated with restrictions or relaxations of security. 

Today was supposed to be a low-risk period.

Mrs. O’Brien crushed his hand again, showing the lie of that risk assessment.

Her contractions were now less than seven minutes apart. She’d begun labour two hours ago. Was that fast? That seemed fast. “Some human women’s first labour’s can last over 24 hours,” he said, somewhat accusingly. At this rate, she would be ready to deliver within the hour.

And then the time for conversation was over, and the time for pushing had begun.

***

Worf had cause to think of Mrs. O’Brien’s safety concerns again a few weeks later as Commander Esfahani showed him and Alexander to their newly assigned quarters in the family area.

“As you can see, the two bedrooms are of equal size so you can decide between yourselves who gets what.” Commander Esfahani smiled brightly at Worf and Alexander, who were both standing in the middle of the main room, not seeing anything in particular. Alexander had been on the Enterprise for two days now, long enough to determine that this arrangement was permanent and to start the process of getting them settled. Worf assumed her attitude was for Alexander’s benefit, though he did not respond to it. Worf was not surprised, Alexander was a Klingon child and was not expected to display unwarranted excitement the way that humans seemed to demand.

Commander Esfahani continued to describe the rooms they were in, deliberately ignoring Alexander’s nerves and Worf’s lack of encouragement. These types of human exchanges of platitudes were meaningless. But experience had taught him they must be borne. Worf would have to teach this to Alexander now that Alexander was his responsibility.

She turned to speak directly to Alexander, “Beautiful view, don’t you agree?” Alexander didn’t look.

“Yeah, I guess,” he said in a small voice. Worf frowned. Maybe his voice would grow in as he developed more.

At that moment, the door chimed. “Come!” Commander Troi came in, carrying a small potted plant.

“Hello Alexander, Lieutenant, Maryam. Settling everyone in alright?” Worf recognised that Commander Troi’s visit was probably procedure, but that did not make it any more of an enticing prospect. 

“Is there something I can help you with, Commander?”

“Keiko sent this plant and her best wishes. It’s a cactus, but she tells me it does bloom once a year, under the right conditions. She wanted to bring it herself, but we agreed that a smaller group would be better for your first day. We can have the full housewarming later.” Alexander looked intrigued, which was the first expression Worf had seen on his face since they first got to their new quarters, so Worf tried not to feel too much trepidation for what would undoubtedly be a noisy affair. Worf wondered how many of these social occasions he would have to endure. He realised, he would never have true solitude again. When Alexander was away, Worf would be aware of him, even now there was a part of himself tracking where Alexander was, what he was doing.

Worf walked over to the window to look at it. He knew the view of stars streaming by was a false one. Commander Esfahani came to join him. Worf spoke first.

“It is disconcerting.”

“What is?”

“The window.” He turned to her. “I know that this is a bulkhead; there are many quarters between us and true space.” 

He paused for a moment and waited for her natural human tendency to fill the silence. He was not disappointed. “Yes, for safety, just as Lt. Yar designed and you signed off on.” Something must have shown on his face because her eyes sharpened.

“The security procedures. I wish to go over them.” The commander did not seem surprised.

“Right now?”

“Yes. Route security inside of the areas where the children have free movement. What happens during a red alert if Alexander is on his way to school? What about inside the holodeck?”

Commander Troi stepped in and spoke to Alexander before Commander Esfahani could answer. Alexander had been starting to fidget. “Alexander, why don’t we go find a good home for this plant?” Worf remained focused on his concerns as Commander Troi led Alexander away.

“Wall-panel lighting directs them to designated shelter areas no more than 50 metres in distance from each other. Holodeck programs automatically end and the doors open.” She rose an eyebrow. “Any other questions?”

He felt no need to hesitate. “Yes.”

“We’re almost due for our yearly review. Why don’t we schedule some time to go over all of your questions? And you can go check in on Alexander now.” Alexander was with Commander Troi, an undoubtedly superior companion, but he took Commander Esfahani’s point.

“Very well.” She left, but Worf lingered briefly before going to join Alexander. For a moment, he considered resigning his position, finding somewhere safer. His parents had provided him as ideal a childhood as they could have on Gault. He could do the same. But immediately, he discarded the idea. His place was on the Enterprise just as much as it was last week. 

Alexander and the Commander were talking in quiet voices and despite himself, Worf paused to listen.

“I already feel different. None of them are like me.”

“Do you mean no one else is Klingon?” Commander Troi’s tone was careful and judgement free.

“I guess.” Alexander paused and Commander Troi waited, so Worf did the same. “No. It’s different.” Another, shorter pause. “I just feel so angry, like it’s this big thing inside of me and I just do things sometimes that the kids don’t like and I can’t stop myself. It’s like the universal translator is broken and we don’t understand each other.” Worf didn’t understand what he meant. He knew what it felt like to be different, bigger and stronger and more disciplined than the children around him, small like a flock of cha’Do’. But Alexander sounded unsure of himself in a way that Worf had never felt. When the other children were confused by him, he knew that they just didn’t understand what it meant to be Klingon.

Commander Troi spoke then. “I felt the same way, growing up.”

“You did?” Worf also was surprised, the Commander seemed so clearly in command of herself.

“I am half-Betazoid, my father is human. That means that my telepathic powers are not as strong as those of full-Betazoids. When I was young, the children were quite literally talking in ways I couldn’t understand. I couldn’t tell what they wanted, or why they were upset with me. It made me very self-conscious, for a long time.

“What did you do?”

She paused for a moment, and Worf wondered why. 

“I found the things I liked to do, the things that felt right for me. And I spent more time with the children who were patient with me, and less with those who made me feel bad.”

Alexander’s voice shrunk even further. “What if there aren’t any kids like that?” Worf wanted to call out and remind Alexander that he would grow into a Klingon Warrior. Klingon Warriors’ code of honour made them feared and respected, and if Alexander followed that code, he would get his share of that respect. But if he said anything, it would reveal he was listening in. 

Instead, he called out, “Alexander, it is time for dinner.”

Commander Troi came out with Alexander, her hand on his shoulder. She smiled warmly at Worf and he belatedly realised she had been aware of his position. There was no subterfuge that worked against her empathic powers.

“If you like, I can accompany you to Ten Forward.” Worf glanced at Alexander, who looked close to being exhausted. 

“That will not be necessary. We will dine here.”

“As you wish.” After a few days, Worf was sure they would settle into a routine.

***

After Alexander’s difficult first few days, Worf had agreed to meet regularly with Commander Troi to discuss how to best acclimate Alexander to the Enterprise. He had always respected her skills as a counsellor, his experience consulting with her on how best to raise Alexander had strengthened his respect. Her suggestions had been careful, tactical, and showed immediate results. Which was why he had agreed to come to the All Families Picnic, a monthly event that took place in Holodeck A. But now that he was here, he was beginning to doubt the usefulness of this gathering. There were social events for families nearly every day, the variety of them stretching Worf’s understanding -- why so many combinations and variations of socialising? -- but they had deemed this one to have the maximum opportunity for Alexander to ‘make friends.’

“Let me tell you, Willie threw a fit when we came in here and Flotter didn’t greet him. I’ve tried to get him to play something else, but it’s always just Flotter, Flotter, all the time. There’s only so many times I can visit that forest before I want to set it on fire.” The other parents all nodded sympathetically, even Chief O’Brien, whose daughter was now barely a month old. Belatedly, Worf realised a nod was probably expected of him as well, but showing agreement felt dishonest, and it seemed like the group had no expectation that he would participate in their rituals.

All except for Chief O’Brien, who turned to Worf to include him in conversation. “What about you, Commander? How do you keep Alexander out of the holodeck?” Worf frowned and thought about it. He didn’t think that Alexander was there too much. He certainly spent less time there than Commander LaForge, which was probably a suitable point of reference.

“Alexander prefers his other hobbies.” This seemed like a safe response.

“Oh?” Chief O’Brien prompted, “Like what?”

Worf felt the momentary spike of pressure he always did when anyone asked him about his son. Ever since he had not been familiar with Alexander’s date of birth, he had been waiting for someone to correct him on his knowledge of his own child. But he had the answer. “He likes the theatre, and spending time practicing performances with the other children. He also likes trees and spending time in the garden.”

“It’s true,” Chief O’Brien chimed in. “Alexander’s almost a jr. gardener. He spends more time in there than some of the assigned ensigns!” He smiled at Worf.

“Ha ha, sounds like he’s part plant!” The group laughed dutifully. Worf stood there. “He must be enjoying this then.” Worf just stared at him. The holodeck had been transformed into a sunny afternoon setting. The ground was grassy and there was a small pond with boats shaped like swans floating on it. Commander Esfahani had promised that later there would be ‘games’ of some sort. Here and there were small tables where people could sit to eat, but many had neglected them in favour of sitting on cloth on the grass. It was an undeniably human setting, but still somehow completely alien to any of the outdoor experiences he had shared with his brother as a child on their fully human colony.

“Excuse me. I require more --” he thought for a second, “beverage,” and walked off. As soon as he was out of hearing distance, he asked the computer for the time. Somehow, it had only been 20 minutes. Troi had told him he had to stay for at least an hour and although she was occupied in a discussion with a Bolian family, he did not believe that she would overlook him leaving early for anything less than a shipwide emergency. Escape was not an option. Grimly, he filled a plate with cheese on sticks.

He looked around for Alexander. Alexander was in one of the swan boats with one of the human girl children. He believed she was older than Alexander.

“Marissa seems to be getting along well with Alexander.” Mrs. O’Brien had come up to him, Molly was strapped to her chest and fast asleep. She started stacking her own plate with a variety of snacks. “She used to be really shy, but since she got trapped in the turbo lift with Captain Picard last month she’s really blossomed.” 

The question rose up in Worf’s mind and something must have shown on his face because Mrs. O’Brien asked, “Something on your mind?”

“How do you know all of these children?” He regretted asking, the safety of the crew was his responsibility, he also should know who they were.

“One of her moms is pregnant too, so we started meeting up in Ten Forward to chat. Really nice woman; I can introduce you?” Worf was shaking his head before Mrs. O’Brien even finished.

“She’s not due to deliver for at least a month, about where I was at when you delivered Molly.” 

Worf bared his teeth, only belatedly realising Mrs. O’Brien was making a joke. 

“That was a joke, you don’t have to look so worried.” He straightened up, endeavouring to look professional. The impression was slightly undercut by the amount of cheese in his hands.

“Is there something I can help you with, Mrs. O’Brien?”

“Please call me Keiko, after what we went through, last names are much too formal.” She looked at him shrewdly again. He tipped his head in acknowledgement. He had delivered her child; she had given him a plant. It seemed significant somehow, and worth recognising through using her familiar name.

“There’s a rumour that we’re going to be heading towards the Neutral Zone. I wondered why no one had asked you about it, but I’m getting the sense that you don’t chat much with the other parents, do you.” 

It wasn’t a question, but Worf felt the need to justify himself. “My duties do not require idle conversation with caregivers.”

“No, but you’re missing out. No one has better gossip than Marissa’s moms. They’ve got six kids under the age of twelve so they’ve been pregnant at the same time as crewmembers from all sorts of areas of the ship. They know everyone.”

“I do not gossip.” He thought over what she had said. “Why do they think we’re going to the Neutral Zone?”

“Well, everyone saw that there’s a full four days of top-level threat alert coming next week, and Ensign Shriss in Stellar Cartography said that Alpha shift have classified their scans, but they’ve got to be working on deep space telemetry. So. Everyone’s added that up and come to the conclusion that we’re about to face the Romulans.” 

This was...disturbing. Missions were classified for a reason, and speculating served no purpose, even if they had shown impressive deduction skills. “They should not speculate. Information is revealed when it is appropriate.”

Keiko sighed. “Worf, you can’t put a mystery in front of scientists and expect them to leave it alone. When you put together the threat system, what did you expect?” 

He had expected that the families would accept the system and alter their behaviour to increase their safety.

She was still looking at him.

“Very well, I will take it up with the Captain. He can order them not to discuss their information.”

“You don’t really think that will work?” He deflated.

“No, I suppose not. Did you have something in mind?”

“You should talk to them, get to know them. That way when they’re worried or have a question, they can just ask you, instead of making each other panic. And believe me, some of them can panic. You were talking to Neil Potts earlier? He’s a panicker. And besides, it wouldn’t kill you to be friendly with everyone. You might even find it helpful.”

“Commander Troi said something similar.”

“Well, she’s a very smart woman.” 

“Very well.” Worf put down his cheese. It would be better to go unburdened. “Direct me to where I can make conversation.” 

Keiko laughed. “How about we start small? Why don’t you start coming to Ten Forward with me? Meet some of my other friends. I think you’ll get along.”

“That sounds...acceptable.” Decision made, he announced, ”I will attend.” Keiko smiled at him wryly.

“Thanks Worf, I think they’ll appreciate it.”

***

At first, socialising with the other parents was predictably a waste of time. It mainly consisted of wild speculation, set off when duty schedules were altered, or they were concerned with potential shore leave locations. However, Worf was able to attack their concerns when they became paranoid. Any unexpected deviation from their course would travel across the ship through the family network within an hour. With Worf inside that network, he could stop a rumour of danger before it got started. Tedious, but worthy work.

That was until Lieutenant Toya, mother of Alexandra, warned him of erratic behaviour from a sociology ensign. The resulting investigation led Worf to discover the beginnings of a Cardassian plot to spy on and alter the Enterprise’s research.

That was the moment that Worf came to realise that it was truly Keiko that did him the favour.

**Author's Note:**

> I could talk about what I think the impact of kids on the Enterprise is forever, if you've got thoughts, I'd love a comment.


End file.
